portable bakery

[whitehouse]

I have been working on coming up with a business I can do on my own. Threw many ideas out until I decided to start a bakery. Our town only has the grocery store bakerys and has needed one for a long time. I have lived here all my life and know so many peoples. I have checked out a few local buildings, but the rent is so high with a health department approved kitchen. Just starting out the overhead would kill me.
We have a few mobil food businesses here, one does american/mexican food out of a drivable camper the other grills and has a food stand that changes specials daily. Both are stationary and do quite well with little overhead. I have a small camper I picked up for $75.00 a few years ago. It just sits in our back acrage taking up space and waiting for the grandkids to want to camp out for the night.
I have a friend that ownws a used car lot up town and he will let me park my camper on the edge of his lot. I can hook up to electricity which will take care of heat and music. another friends grandfather is in charge of the Emmanual Baptist Church and they have a beautiful kitchen full equip and approved by the health department. For a small lease fee I can use it to od my baking. Overhead will be so low which is great starting out. I go to school for 1 hour daily and my neice will take care of the business while I am there. I can still continue to do my class each semester (a goal of mine, you can never learn to much) and still start my business. I still have to check on permits and such, but will talk to the city monday. I am in hopes that if this goes well I can afford a building by summer. I also hope to throw in a indoor farmers market on saturday morning. My neice will take care of the business on that day too. I hope to sale my goat milk soap also. Maybe later add some can goods. I want to carry home made breads, cup cakes, cookies, my great apple dumplings, monkey bread, ect.. trying new recipes as I can. wish me luck! :banana02::banana02::banana02:

[PonderosaQ]

Sounds like you have a great idea. I hope it works out for you. We could use a bakery around here it's 25 miles to a food store that has fresh baked goods let alone a real bakery.

PQ

[MorrisonCorner]

I love the idea of a mobile bakery... especially if you are truly mobile and have farmers' markets in your area. We have several "mobile restaurants on wheels" who show up at the various farm markets in our area to serve their food. I think, although I don't have data to support it, that they can get a bit more at a farmers' market for their food because people show up expecting to spend a bit more for locally produced.

Here in VT we have King Arthur Flour, and it is a selling point to say your bread is made with their flour (like it is a draw to say "serving Green Mountain Coffee." Both are high quality products, a plus, but locally produced... double bonus points. You might want to explore using local products in your products and then using their name recognition to leverage your own. For example, if there is a local brewery in your area you might be able to get flat beer you could use for making a beer bread... and then advertise that you've got "HomeBrew Beer Bread." It makes for some extra sizzle.

[whitehouse]

great idea. we do not have a brewery but a few small towns away is a orchard that is very popular.

[eam]

This sounded like a such a great idea when I stumbled across this post! How's the business going - hoping for an update.

Elizabeth

[bekab]

I wonder what the regulations are for that. Anybody know?

[gran]

I was also hoping to see an update. I had the idea a few years ago about just doing specialty cakes, cupcakes, cookies etc. After figuring my cost using real butter & good quality ing I found out I wouldn't break even. With all the food store bakeries selling so cheap no one is willing to pay for quality goods. I would not have been able to cover my cost so I give it up. I do live in a small town where when it comes to food they like quantity over quality. I was hoping to hear this poster had been successful.

[perennial]

I started my own baking business 2 years ago. I got my home kitchen
state approved - which is mostly piles and piles of paperwork. I now
service 3 cafe's and am now starting to do a bit of retail directly to
people. It's been a long road as i have a family and try to balance
all! I enjoy it alot and the other day, hubby was 35 miles away and
went into a store to buy a special thermometer for me and somehow
told him my name - and they were raving about my stuff and how they
would like to carry some of my products and/or ideas that i have
on the planning board. It's fun and satisfying to know someone ate
something of mine and remembered my name.

Anyhow a few things that come to mind - you will need freezer space
to hold butter and some ingredients and your items (even if only for
a few days because you won't be baking while your selling. You will
also need seprate storage for your ingredients and a seperate fridge
for only your cold baking ingredients. Also, you may have to have
your camper inspected. You should write to the dept. of agriculture or such and they will send you a packet of requirements. It's better to know them upfront so you don't find the hard way.

Research ingredients and where you can get good quality the cheapest.
Buy in bulk and not at local grocery or it's a waste of time. Get a tax id #,
then you can order at a cheaper rate through most places.

The only other thing is i would really think twice about paying someone
else all day on a saturday to sell stuff - you won't be making much by the
time you pay someone else to sit and sell it after paying their pay and the cost of ingredients and the cost of the time you took to make the items.

Take the time to really figure your pricing before you start selling because you want to charge enough to cover ingredients and your labor.

Have some truly honest friends try your stuff/samples first and get true
feedback and make sure they are honest. For people to come back again and again, it should be both attractive and delicious - even if it's just a muffin.

USE ONLY KING ARTHUR FLOUR.

Good Luck. It's a good idea.

[paintlady]

I wish you well. I sell baked goods at a farmers market and do well most weekends. You have to check your state's regulations but I would say "GO FOR IT"!
I find that samples are a great selling tool but there again- check your regulations. Does your farmers market have a board? Get in touch and go to any trainings and education things that you can.
I like your idea of a mobile bakery. I have to set up a table, canopy etc every weekend and it gets to be a real pain but having it all in one unit would be great- and food for thought for me!
If you have any questions you can PM me.

[Alice In TX/MO]

This is being done in Austin, Texas.

http://www.urbanspoon.com/r/11/76950...Company-Austin